TESTING

You cannot encounter all these missions in one playthrough, only some of them will spawn. In every mission, you have a chance to accept or refuse the mission. If refusing the mission does not have any significant impact apart from not being able to play the mission refuse mission player option is not mentioned.

The Alchemist

Free a geneticist held by the Disciples of Anu for the leader of Longinus Point.

Before mission

Longinus Point is a well-armed and extremely isolated haven that rarely deals with the outside world. Its leader, Justinian Cyneweard, once a prominent member of New Jericho, split with Tobias West over the latter's obsession with genetic purity - taking much of Vanadium's old Advanced Genetics Warfare Division with him. The split led to an extremely bloody two-day battle in June of 2043, and they have remained sworn enemies since.

Cyneweard has contacted our operatives and allowed them into the haven, but only because he needs our help. "After we broke with West," he explains, "we named our new organization Alchemy because we intended to have the kind of flexibility West is incapable of. But it seems we are lacking the right alchemist."

The alchemist in question is a geneticist now working for the Disciples of Anu. Cyneweard wants this individual retrieved and is willing to pay for our services.

Player choice 1: Accept mission. Player choice 2: Refuse mission. Player choice 3: Share our operatives' insights about Longinus Point security with New Jericho. (requires attitude New Jericho higher than 10)

Refuse mission

Cyneweard is disappointed. "So the Phoenix Project is no better than New Jericho," he says. "How pathetic. Mark my words: this inflexibility, which you mistake for morality, will be the end of you. You are now longer welcome at Longinus Point."

New Jericho's attitude to Phoenix Project +5.

Share our operatives' insights about Longinus Point security with New Jericho

New Jericho is swift to act, and soon Longinus Point is burning.

New Jericho's attitude to Phoenix Project +10. Synedrion's attitude to Phoenix Project -5

Accept mission

New Jericho's attitude to Phoenix Project -5.

Mission briefing

The Disciples of Anu are holding a geneticist that Longinus Point wishes to recruit. We must free the geneticist while trying not to attract undue attention.

After mission

The geneticist has been successfully extracted from the Anu settlement and is willing to join Longinus Point.

"Frankly, I'm sort of relieved," he says. "I've heard of Cyneweard, and not always positive stuff, but working for the Disciples was... unnerving. There's more to their plans than meets the eye. Even the scientists don't get to see the bigger picture."

Disciples of Anu's attitude to Phoenix Project -5.

"Justinian Cyneweard is pleased with our work. The geneticist is immediately escorted to the Longinus Point research facility.

"Tobias West is not going to like this," Cyneweard says. "But we've fought him off before and we'll fight him off again, if necessary. We're glad the Phoenix Project doesn't share his inflexibility in these matters. This war isn't going to be won by embracing purity. No, what we need is transformation. That's what Alchemy is all about, in the end."´

For our efforts, Cyneweard has his people share several crates of resources.

Rewards

New Jericho's attitude to Phoenix Project -5. TECH +400, MATERIALS +250, FOOD +250, Research +500.

Bloodlines

Eliminate the Pandorans in Walter Ivan Toso’s family crypt.

Before mission

The people of Zena are friendly but cautious. Built around the remains of an old fortress, Zena is a place of refuge from the endless wars of the world. Its leader, Walter Ivan Toso, remembers World War 3 all too vividly and isn't interested in getting involved in another pointless struggle. "I was in the army, and I was good at it," he says, speaking with a slight Italian accent, "but if it was up to me, I would just spend my time making wine, not fighting other human beings."

There is something the Phoenix Project could help me with. It's... superficial, perhaps. But I've been thinking a lot about family lately. I almost lost my own family during the war, you know. Took me years to track them down - I only found them a few months ago. And since then I can't stop thinking about our links to the past, to the old world. I don't want to go back, I know we can't, but we shouldn't forget about those links. They are the story of how we got here.

Toso would like us to recover an old genealogical tome from what used to be his family's crypt. Player choice 1: Accept mission. Player choice 2: Refuse mission.

"Thank you," he says. "We always try to keep things practical here, and the truth is that the tome doesn't have any practical purpose. But the information within it connects us to all the people who came before us, and perhaps sometimes we need to be a little... romantic."

Mission briefing

We must eliminate the Pandorans in what used to be Walter Ivan Toso’s family crypt. The place does not seem welcoming, even for a crypt.

After mission

We have successfully obtained the tome from what used to be the Toso family crypt. The Pandorans that had infested the underground lair have been eliminated, leaving us with the sole task of returning to Walter and presenting him with our findings.

Toso studies the book with a thoughtful smile.

"See, if you go back just a few generations," he says, pointing at a page in the book, "you start finding connections to so many other people in this haven. We're all connected to each other, and those connections matter. And when you think about it, even those of our citizens who are not from here - you don't have to go so far back to find a link to them, either. Humanity is one.

"We have our ways, our traditions," Toso continues. "And they matter to us. They help keep us sane. But we must never forget that we are part of the greater family tree. I hope this book will become a symbol of our connection to the rest of the world and a reminder that wars against other humans are like hurting your own family. Thank you for your help. I hope this reward will be adequate."

Rewards

TECH +200, MATERIALS +550, FOOD +150

The Bulwark

Eliminate all threats near the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.

Before mission

Dokkum is an anarcho-syndicalist haven closely associated with Synedrion, but not entirely part of it. Representative Boris Eysbroek has contacted our operatives on behalf of Dokkum to request the assistance of the Phoenix Project.

A team of Dokkum explorers has managed to discover the precise location of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a seed bank thought to contain more than one million samples.

Whether the structure is still intact is unknown, as the area is infested with Pandorans, but if even a fraction of the samples has survived, they could play an essential role in restoring Earth's ecosystem.

Representative Eysbroek would like the Phoenix Project to help secure the area around the Vault.

Player choice 1: Accept mission. Player choice 2: Refuse mission. Player choice 3: Denounce the concept of saving the seeds of the old world.

Denounce the concept of saving the seeds of the old world

Clinging to the purity of the old world is meaningless. Those species are gone now, and it's better this way. The new, adapted species will be closer to biological perfection.

Disciples of Anu's attitude to Phoenix Project +5, New Jericho's attitude to Phoenix Project -5.

Accept mission

Representative Eysbroek transfers the Vault's coordinates and wishes our operatives the best of luck. Site added to Geoscape: The Bulwark.

Mission briefing

We must secure the area around the Svalbard Global Seed Vault so that it can be ascertained whether any of the seed samples survived.

After mission

While we have successfully secured the area, our operatives report that unfortunately, the entrance to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault has collapsed, and the facility itself seems to have been flooded when the permafrost melted. Player choice: Search for samples.

Our operatives have managed to retrieve a handful of samples from a nearby secondary storage facility. This facility was begun in the 2030s when the collapse of human civilization seemed imminent, and only contained a selection of the most critically important crop species.

Perhaps these will be enough to make a difference. Site added to Geoscape: Seeds of the Future.

Representative Eysbroek is overjoyed by the samples our operatives retrieved.

"These may not seem like much to you," he says, "but think of just how much information is encoded in a single strand of DNA! If a seed is like a book, a story about how the world used to be, you have recovered an entire library."

"And if we ever win this war," Representative Eysbroek continues, these seeds could help us rebuild the Earth's ecosystem - or even design a better one!

Today the Phoenix Project has accomplished something truly remarkable. I'm only sorry that we don't have a better reward for this treasure you have unearthed.

Rewards

TECH +150, MATERIALS +250, FOOD +650

Cybernetics for Cybernetic Deity

Retrieve the blueprints for new cybernetics from a New Jericho lab.

Before mission

Phantom's Forge is one of the strangest independent havens. Cybernetics are mandatory here: every single inhabitant is as much machine as flesh. The haven's leader, Ryan Dustin Wood, is a frightening, eccentric figure who rules with an iron fist - literally.

Dark rumors about his excesses in pursuit of mechanical perfection circulate in other havens, but the inhabitants seem happy enough... assuming those are real smiles and real teeth.

Philosophically, Wood is most open to New Jericho, although he disdains their obsession with "primitive humanity." But right now, New Jericho has what he needs, and ideological matters are secondary.

Ryan Wood: "They're working on the tech I need," he hisses. "I know it. A new generation of cybernetic implants. We had a deal. They promised they would deliver. But they didn't. Keeping it all for themselves. Profit first, progress later. Liars!"

Wood wants us to infiltrate a New Jericho lab and retrieve the blueprints for the cybernetic prototypes they're developing. He's willing to pay for our services.

Player choice 1: Accept mission. Player choice 2: Refuse mission.

Ryan Wood: "Good, good," he says with a smile, and something inside him seems to produce a whirring sound. Our operatives choose not to discover what it was. Site added to Geoscape: Cybernetics for Cybernetic Deity

Mission briefing

We must retrieve the blueprints for new cybernetic tech that New Jericho is developing, so we can hand them over to R. D. Wood of Phantom's Forge, who will undoubtedly do something harmless and benevolent with them.

After mission

We have successfully managed to obtain the cybernetic blueprints from New Jericho, hopefully without alerting them to our involvement. Now is the time to return to Phantom's Forge and see what Wood has to offer for them. Site added to Geoscape: Upgraded

When our operatives inform R.D. Wood of their success, his cybernetic eye glows with appreciation. He smiles to reveal his new titanium tongue. His teeth are bright and sharp.

"Excellent. Our transformation will continue," he says. "You know, the Disciples of Anu almost got it right. We can be perfected. But not through biology. Not through the Pandoravirus. No!

The future will be forged, and I will create the New Humanity! Oh, don't you love the apocalypse? All the old crud has been swept away, and now nothing stands in our way.

You think I'm mad, of course. I don't hold it against you. In a sense, I am. I have moved so far outside the constraining box of conventional wisdom that my actions cannot but seem mad. But one day, you will understand.

When you have a new brain, and new eyes, and a spine of steel... then you will see what I can see. And then, when there are many like me... perhaps I will be less alone.

Rewards

New Jericho's attitude to Phoenix Project -5, TECH +250, MATERIALS +200, FOOD +150, Research + 500

Energize This

Secure the enemy lab to retrieve research stolen from Aatxe.

Before mission

Erik-Logan Hughes is the leader of an independent haven called Aatxe. A soft-spoken, intellectual man with a degree in urban planning, he approaches life in the post-apocalypse as a technical rather than moral problem.

"It's all a matter of preparation," he says. "Planning. It's not really the Pandoravirus that destroyed the world, you know. Between nationalist authoritarianism and neoliberal dogmatism, we simply didn't have the tools to defend ourselves as a species. It was a matter of systemic failure. But how, then, do we build a new system? Here at Aatxe, we understand that the foundation of a functional system is energy. Without sustainable, reliable energy sources, there is no future."

"Geothermal and hydro are my personal favourites, of course," Hughes says with a smile. "But we have to plan further ahead than that. To that end, we were developing a completely new approach to energy generation, something truly radical... until someone stole all of our research. An unknown group, masquerading as members of Synedrion, disabled our defenses and pillaged our lab. We managed to track them to their base, but we don't have the resources to launch a raid. Can you help us?"

Player choice 1: Accept mission. Player choice 2: Refuse mission.

"Excellent," Hughes says. "I'm glad the Phoenix Project understands that this struggle is about more than just killing the bad guys. It's also about what kind of future we want to invest in. Otherwise, history will just repeat itself."

Mission briefing

A group of unknown individuals masquerading as members of Synedrion have stolen valuable energy research from Aatxe. We must secure the lab and retrieve the research.

After mission

We have secured the lab and retrieved the research. We have not, however, managed to identify the origin of these pseudo-Synedrion members. Their equipment seems authentic, but some of it is out of date. Perhaps they are members of a breakaway faction, or another faction's attempt to undermine their reputation.

"Hughes and the rest of the Aaxte council are very happy to see their research restored to them.

"I struggle to understand why someone would try to steal our research - I mean, I understand copying it, but why try to ensure that we can't continue it ourselves?" Hughes says, clearly frustrated. "This is precisely the sort of neoliberal logic that led to the old system's collapse: competition above all else, even above the survival of the species! It's... I don't know. I just really don't get it."

"But no matter what, I believe in what we're doing here," he continues. "Aatxe may just be a footnote right now, certainly compared to the big players, but maybe one day this tech will change the world. Not now, not next year... but one day, our actions will bear fruit, and our little contribution to humanity's knowledge will make a big difference."

Rewards

TECH +150, MATERIALS +350, FOOD +250

The Hand of Merlin

Capture a lab for John "Merlin" Smith, leader of Avalon.

Before mission

Before World War 3, John Smith seemed as ordinary as his name, just another one of the millions of soldiers sent to fight and die for governments who saw them as nothing but statistics. But in the war, he showed that he had a unique aptitude for strategy - he acted fast and achieved decisive victories before the enemy had even figured out what was happening. His troops gave him the nickname Merlin because he moved like a wizard. Then came the implants, the thought transfer experiments... and soon enough, a legend was born.

When the old nation-states tore themselves apart, Merlin decided that his first loyalty was to his team. He ignored his orders and founded the haven now known as Avalon.

"There are people who think I'm an actual wizard," he laughs, speaking to our operatives. "I don't discourage it. It's a strange world we find ourselves in, my friends, and I need every resource I can get. And I'm sure you remember that old Arthur C. Clarke quote about sufficiently advanced technology.

But even Merlin himself can't solve every problem. The technology that was used to create my implants is... experimental, to say the least. The process wasn't entirely voluntary, and there's still a lot I don't know about what my government did to me. I have the coordinates of a lab that might provide answers. Can you help me secure it?"

Player choice 1: Accept Mission. Player choice 2: Refuse mission.

Mission briefing

This lab was used by a secret government organization to illegally test thought transfer implants on unwilling human subjects. We must secure it and retrieve all the data we can find.

After mission

We have successfully captured the lab and retrieved the data. What any of it means, however, is hard to tell without the specialized knowledge only "Merlin" possesses. Site added to Geoscape: The Burden.

"So here it is," Merlin says, studying the data. "My gift. My curse. All set down in little numbers. How strange. Somehow, it makes it all seem a lot more ordinary. I'm glad, in a way. I shouldn't start believing my own myths, should I? No matter how useful they are."

"I can hear it all, you know," Merlin continues. "All my soldiers' thoughts. It was supposed to be a system for giving orders more quickly, but it does a lot more than that. I can hear their fears, their doubts, their hopes... all of it, all the time. And I can't switch it off.

People in the haven think I'm all-knowing because I'm always aware of everything my soldiers see. But it's... it's a burden. It's hard enough to be responsible for people's lives, but their souls? It's too much.

So I'm very grateful for your help. You've given me hope, that one day I can enjoy a moment... just a single moment... of silence.

Rewards

TECH +200, MATERIALS +450, FOOD +350

Harmony of the Spheres

Retrieve a copy of James O'Hearn's lost composition from the ruins of a destroyed city.

Before mission

Most havens started as shelters or military installations, but Harmony was a music school. Before the Pandoravirus, James O’Hearn was a pianist and music teacher. When things fell apart, he and his students transformed the school into a fortress - more out of necessity than choice. But slowly their community grew, and O’Hearn became its leader.

O’Hearn has a mixed reputation: some say he's a sweet, kind man who cares about his people; others say he's a sociopath who cares about nothing but power. The one thing that's certain is that music is the core of his beliefs. Music plays constantly in the haven, even at night, and his compositions are played at tri-weekly services. The haven has a good relationship with the Disciples of Anu, and many of his students believe O'Hearn's music will bring them closer to the Dead God.

O'Hearn welcomes our operatives into the haven. He's friendly and humble.

"I wanted to... hire you, I suppose? For a mission? That's how this works, right?" he says. "I'm afraid it'll seem quite absurd, but if I pay you, it should be OK, right? I want you to return something to me. A little bit of sheet music, that's all. Something I wrote a long time ago for someone... someone who's no longer with us. In this world, anyway.

Could you do that for me, if I provide the coordinates? I know where it is, but I can't send one of my students. They're simply not up to such a task. Player choice 1: Accept mission. Player choice 2: Refuse mission.

He claps his hands together. "Wonderful! I thought you'd say no, honestly. It's a silly thing to ask for, I know. But music connects us to the cosmos. It's the language of creation. And... I suppose it has a value that can't quite be put into words."

Mission briefing

The target of this mission is not a sample or a device - it's sheet music. More specifically, a composition by James O'Hearn, leader of the Harmony haven.

After mission

We have successfully retrieved O'Hearn's composition, which was miraculously intact. We should deliver it to Harmony as soon as possible.

O'Hearn takes the sheet music without speaking, sits down at his piano and begins to play. It's a beautiful melody, full of longing and hope. Only at the end is there a discordant note, as O'Hearn's expression briefly changes and his hands tremble. But the moment passes, and then O'Hearn seems himself again.

"I want to thank you for returning this piece of myself," O'Hearn tells our operatives. "I've felt... fragmented, lately. The pressure of keeping this place going, when not everyone believes in my leadership. I'm not quite the person I used to be. But I hope this will help, as strange as that may seem to you. And here's your payment, as agreed. Thank you again."

Rewards

TECH +100, MATERIALS +650, FOOD +250

In the Name of the Father

Attack the Disciples of Anu on behalf of the Reformed.

Before mission

Joseph Saxton, better known as the Father of the Reformed, was once a high-ranking member of the Disciples of Anu, taking orders directly from the Synod of Yearning. But then, something happened. Some say he heard a whisper, something the Exalted said to Taxiarch Nergal that no-one else was supposed to hear. On that day, Saxton rejected the Exalted and proclaimed himself the true Messiah.

He and his followers, who call themselves the Reformed, founded Kan Digirak as the center of a new, more truthful religion that would lead people to the Dead God. Since then, it has grown, but slowly. It's a strange, hostile place, and few Disciples are willing to abandon their faith in the Exalted. Those who do follow Saxton, however, would follow him into hell.

The Father of the Reformed has allowed our operatives to speak to him because he wants to offer them a mission, the same mission he offers every well-armed group the Reformed encounter: vengeance. He wants us to attack the Disciples of Anu and cause as much damage as possible. He already has a target in mind, and a reward waiting.

Player choice 1: Accept mission. Player choice 2: Refuse mission. Player choice 3: Warn the Disciples. (requires attitude with Disciples of New Jericho higher than 0).

Warn the Disciples

A message from the Shadowed Hierarch thanks us for the information, and assures us that the Father of Reformation will "feel the wrath of the Dead God, or experience its military equivalent."

Disciples of Anu's attitude to Phoenix Project +5.

Accept mission

"As the Dead God foresaw," Saxton says, and though his face is hidden by the mask, he is clearly smiling.

Mission briefing

Saxton's instructions were pretty simple: kill everyone.

After mission

We have sent the message the Father of the Reformed wanted us to send. Now we will have to live with the consequences.

Disciples of Anu's attitude to Phoenix Project -20.

"You have done well," Saxton intones when our operatives return. "And you will be rewarded accordingly. But do not think that you are saved, merely because you have performed a single task for the Dead God. It will take a lifetime of servitude for the sins of your flesh to be erased! God's Gate remains closed to you, and may remain so forever."

The Reformed hand over the reward, but it's clear that unless we have a further business, our operatives should stay away from their leader and only come to the haven in an emergency.

Rewards

TECH +150, MATERIALS +550, FOOD +400

Night of Desirable Blueprints

Steal data from Synedrion for New Sydney.

Before mission

The independent haven of New Sydney was founded by a group that broke away from Synedrion.

Its founder, now Mayor Harry Brown-Beresford, believed that Synedrion's commitment to co-existence with the Pandoravirus was simply unsustainable and that a more confrontational approach was paramount.

He tried convincing the rest of Synedrion, but was outvoted and eventually left, taking many of his supporters with him.

New Sydney tries its best to maintain good relations with all the major factions, including Synedrion.

Brown-Beresford makes a big point of his belief in diplomacy and cooperation. But sometimes... sometimes you have to take risks.

As part of his attempts to maintain peace, Mayor Brown-Beresford tries to collect as much information as possible.

Conflicts can arise from within factions as much as from without, and New Sydney needs to be prepared. Recently, he lost touch with a valuable source in Synedrion.

It's all very inconvenient. There's some information that would be extremely helpful, and I almost had it. If you could recover it... discreetly, I would be happy to pay you.

Player choice 1: Accept mission Player choice 2: Refuse mission

"Please remember to be careful," he says. "I disagree with Synedrion on some important issues, but they're not the enemy. This is about long-term strategy, not inflicting damage."

Site added to Geoscape: Night of Desirable Blueprints

Mission briefing

We need to liberate some data from Synedrion. Discreetly.

After mission

We have successfully liberated the Synedrion research data. The data is heavily encrypted, so we can only hope that New Sydney has a means to make use of it.

Site added to Gesocape: Speak softly

Mayor Brown-Beresford grins at our operatives when they return with the data.

"I really do believe in peace and diplomacy, you know. I want this haven to make the world a better place. But doing that is complicated. They say you should speak softly and carry a big stick, but we don't have a big stick, so we need... insurance."

"Here's your payment," he continues. "Not that you did any kind of job for New Sydney. Do you remember anything? I don't. This is just a gift because I felt like being nice. It's been a pleasure."

Rewards

Synedrion's attitude to Phoenix Project -5, TECH +150, MATERIALS +450, FOOD +150, Research +500

Stealing Valor

Find and reclaim the Imperial Regalia from the Disciples of Anu.

Before mission

"After the end of the world as we knew it, Hikari Towa found herself in an unexpected position: technically speaking, based on her bloodline, she was the Empress of Japan. The country itself was in ruins, but a group of loyalists declared her leader of their haven, Neo Takachiho, and what choice did she have but to roll with it?

Since then, she's tried to build a better life for her people, not without success, but also with some difficulties: there are plenty of people who'd like to use her as a figurehead, which she has no intention of becoming. If you're going to be Empress, might as well do it right."

"To consolidate her position, Towa has been trying to recover the sword Kusanagi, one of the Three Sacred Treasures, the imperial regalia of Japan. She has a possible location, but she fears someone inside her haven is trying to betray her. She is offering us a handsome reward for retrieving the sword for her.

The only problem? The sword is in a haven controlled by the Disciples of Anu."

Player choice 1: Accept mission. Player choice 2: Refuse mission.

Towa thanks us for helping her. She gives our operatives the coordinates of the Anu haven and offers several suggestions for how to infiltrate it without being noticed.

Mission briefing

The sword Kusanagi, one of the Three Sacred Treasures, is being kept in this haven. As the Disciples have no interest in history, they probably consider it a curiosity at best, disposable at worst. We must retrieve it before it is destroyed.

After mission

We have successfully reclaimed the fabled sword. Hikari Towa will undoubtedly be pleased. All we need now is to go and present the regalia to her.

Hikari Towa is deeply thankful for our help and promises to stand by the Phoenix Project in the future. She has two out of three Imperial Regalia now, and is only missing the jewel Yasakani no Magatama. "But," she says with an enigmatic half-smile, "that's already being taken care of."

Our mission also helped Towa flush out the traitor in her haven, which she considers equally important. In fact, our operatives somewhat suspect that tracking down the Three Sacred Treasures may have been as much a provocation to push the traitor to reveal himself as an attempt to actually secure these symbols.

Towa gladly honors her promise to pay for our services.

Rewards

Disciples of Anu's attitude to Phoenix Project -5. TECH +250, MATERIALS +350, FOOD +250, Research +500

Thunder and Sunshine

Before mission

Scheria is a friendly, culturally diverse haven which has taken in many refugees over the last decade, although it remains somewhat isolationist when it comes to the bigger factions.

Its founder is the thoughtful and charismatic Ulysses J. Black, the former owner of a global cybernetics company who was ousted after a hostile takeover by Vanadium Inc.

"You better not trust West, that lying sack of Pandoran slime," he tells our operatives.

"Honestly, I don't even think he took my company away from me because of the actual cybernetics. It's all part of his great plan, I guess. But honestly, who gives a crap about his plan?"

"Anyway," he continues, "what I want from you people is this: go to the Synedrion research lab at these coordinates, retrieve the equipment on this list, and bring it all to me for a nice reward. No questions asked. You up for that?"

Player choice 1: Accept mission. Player choice 2: Refuse mission

Mission briefing

We must secure this Synedrion research facility to recover the equipment Ulysses J. Black has requested.

After mission

We have successfully managed to retrieve the equipment Ulysses J. Black requested. These seem to be parts for advanced cybernetic devices, mostly organ replacements. It's possible Black is far less human, biologically speaking than he appears.

Synedrion's attitude to Phoenix Project -5. Site added to Geoscape: This Gray Spirit.

Ulysses J. Black is thankful for the equipment we have retrieved for him. For a moment, his features soften.

What a world this has become," he sighs. "A truly fallen world. And we ourselves... diminished. But how does that old poem go? Tho' much is taken, much abides; and tho' / We are not now that strength which in old days / Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are; / One equal temper of heroic hearts, / Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will / To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

"I suppose I'll keep going a while longer, as long as this haven needs me. And as long as there's a chance of seeing West's empire fall.

But honestly, all I really want is to go back home to Miami and enjoy a Mojito while watching the sunrise over the ocean. I don't suppose the Phoenix Project can arrange that, huh?"

Rewards

TECH +100, MATERIALS +450, FOOD +250

O Brother, Where Anu Thou?

Rescue Mason Spark from a Disciples of Anu prison.

Before mission

Cedar Ark is a remote haven built by the billionaire philanthropist Mike Spark, an old competitor of Tobias West's. Spark, like West, generally kept a low profile, so not much is known about him except for his dedication to environmental causes. He is said to have financed the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, and was involved with the first attempts to develop a filtration system that could stop the Pandoravirus.

The population of Cedar Ark was carefully selected from around the world, and all of its inhabitants are extremely loyal to Spark. On the surface, everything seems relatively normal, but there is one unusual detail - the people of Cedar Ark refer to themselves as "the destined." Destined for what is unclear.

Upon arriving at Cedar Ark, our operatives are invited to meet the head of the Cedar Ark Executive Council, Mike Spark himself. Spark is a quiet man, but very focused. He seems to have expected our operatives' arrival and offers them a mission: extracting his brother from a Disciples of Anu prison in exchange for a reward.

Player choice 1: Accept mission. Player choice 2: Refuse mission. Player choice 3: Inform the Disciples

Inform the Disciples

The Blind Legate thanks us for letting him know that Cedar Ark is attempting to free Mason Spark, a man the Disciples consider extremely dangerous. They will double his security immediately.

Unsurprisingly, Mike Spark is enraged and vows that we will regret this betrayal.

Disciples of Anu's attitude to Phoenix Project +5.

Accept mission

"As anticipated," Spark says with an enigmatic smile, handing our operatives a map of the prison where his brother is being held. "I will do my best to convince the Disciples that this is a Cedar Ark operation. I don't mind taking the blame, and if they overestimate our capabilities, so much the better."

Mission briefing

We must free Mason Spark, a high-ranking member of the Cedar Ark Executive Council, from the Disciples of Anu haven.

After mission

We have managed to find and free the target, and the entire operation has been successfully passed off as a Cedar Ark raid. All that remains is to return to Cedar Ark and claim our reward from Mike Spark.

Mason Spark is safely back at Cedar Ark, and his brother, though unsurprised by our success, is very pleased with the Phoenix Project.

In addition to the promised reward, he offers our operatives a cryptic clue: "The war against the Pandoravirus is only a small battle in a much greater conflict. I am certain that we will win this battle, but all our predictions break down when it comes to the war that truly matters. Soon, we will need to learn to think and plan on a much larger scale."

Rewards

TECH +200, MATERIALS +400, FOOD +350

Undercover Brother

Extract Felipe Mena from a Disciples of Anu haven.

Before mission

Bastión Irazú is an independent haven founded by refugees during World War 3. It grew to its present size when the surviving nation-states finally collapsed during the Second Mist.

It welcomes people with mutations but is not allied with the Disciples of Anu, as its people are generally suspicious of religious leaders.

The haven's mayor is one of its first citizens, Fabio Mena, a Costa Rican engineer specialized in communications who accidentally found himself becoming a leader.

"Please, just call me Fabio, most people here do," he says. "Being called a mayor is strange. I'm just a man who tries to keep this place running."

There is something Fabio requires our help with.

My brother, Felipe... well, it's a really long story, but he disappeared during the First Mist, and I've been looking for him. I know what you're thinking: he's dead. But our family... well, again, it's a really long story.

Let's say there are reasons he may have survived. And recently I found out he may be living in a haven controlled by the Disciples of Anu. I've been trying to send word, but they won't forward my messages to him. So I need you to rescue him.

Player choice 1: Agree to extract Felipe. Player choice 2: Contact the Disciples of Anu to inquire about Felipe (requires attitude with Disciples of Anu higher than 35)

Contact the Disciples of Anu to inquire about Felipe

As it turns out, the problem can be solved diplomatically: Felipe, whose mutations are quite extensive, has willingly joined the Monastic Order of Silent Contemplation, and Fabio's messages were not relayed to avoid disturbing Felipe's meditation.

In this case, however, an exception will be made with the blessing of the Exalted, and the two brothers will be temporarily reunited.

Fabio and Felipe have chosen paths that are not compatible with each other, but they are brothers, and they will find a way of dealing with it. Family, as a wise man once said, should not end in blood.

Rewards

TECH +100, MATERIALS +100, FOOD +100

Agree to extract Felipe

"Thank you," Fabio says. "I appreciate your help. Sometimes we have to rely on other people, even if it's frightening. That's the first lesson we learned during the war."

Site added to Geoscape: Undercover brother.

Mission briefing

We must extract an individual who we think is Felipe Mena, brother of Fabio Mena, from this haven - ideally without attracting too much attention.

After mission

We have successfully managed to escape with the civilian. What is more, he has confirmed that he is indeed Felipe Mena, brother of Fabio Mena. Although he appears like an ordinary human at first, a closer look reveals a large amount of subtle mutations.

We will have to see what Fabio makes of this. Site added to Geoscape: Brother's keeper.

Fabio Mena is faced with a difficult dilemma: his brother, the man we extracted, is extensively mutated. Moreover, he didn't need rescuing but had joined the Disciples of Anu on purpose, to learn how to control his powers.

The only reason he came along with us is because he thought it was an opportunity to prevent further bloodshed, by showing Fabio that the Disciples can save people.

Fabio thanks our operatives, but it's clear that the decision about what to do next weighs heavy on him. "Still, even though our paths are very different, it's good that you found him.

We will have to find a way to do what we believe in without hurting each other. That's what family is all about, right? Whatever else happens, we'll always be brothers.

Rewards

TECH +150, MATERIALS +150, FOOD +450

What's Mine Is Mine

Destroy the Pandoran colony blocking the mine.

Before mission

We call it R.E.M.E., as in 'ream' - get your minds out of the gutter, you slobs, it means digging a hole. Proper name's Rare Earth and Mineral Extraction Corporation Site Alpha, but who has the time to say all that, eh?

Jachlan Wisopp, known to his people as Jack, is unfazed by the apocalypse. He's had two careers: one in the military, the other running a small Australian mining company. This has left with him with a practical attitude: if there's a problem, you don't moan about it, you fix it. The current problem his haven is facing is a little bigger, however.

We mine and we trade, alright? That's how we survive. Mining's hard work on the best of days, but now we've got a Pandoran colony growing right on top of one of our mines. There's a lot of problems I know how to solve, but this one... well, we could some help.

Player choice 1: Accept mission. Player choice 2: Refuse mission.

Jack just nods. There's no need to say more - people have to help each other in these times. Site added to Geoscape: What's Mine Is Mine.

Mission briefing

A Pandoran colony is beginning to grow here, blocking one of R.E.M.E.'s mines. We have to destroy it before it reaches its full size.

After mission

Our operatives have successfully destroyed the colony before it could fully develop. The threat has been averted, at least for now. The people of R.E.M.E. will be pleased. Site added to Geoscape: Hardwork

Jachlan Wisopp ("Call me Jack, for Chrisssake") is glad to hear the mine is accessible again. Work, as he sees it, is the only way to get out of the mess humanity's in. We have to keep digging away at the problem until it's fixed.

"That's how this all started, you know," Jack says. "Arrogant folks with power, only ever thinking about themselves. I'm telling you, this whole Pandoravirus thing could've been nipped in the bud, but they were all asleep at the wheel. Glad to see the Phoenix Project's different. Here's your payment - hard work should always be rewarded."

Rewards

TECH +50, MATERIALS +750, FOOD +200